1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to residential or commercial storage, or more particularly, to a platform lift apparatus for raising or lowering objects into a raised storage location such as an attic storage space located above a garage or living quarters, with an integrated ladder enabling a user to access the storage location through the same opening.
2. Description of Related Art
Many homes have attic spaces above garages and living quarters, and these attic spaces often provide a storage location for various items. While some attic spaces are finished and have access via a stairwell, most attic spaces remain unfinished and have more rudimentary access systems. The most basic access system is a simple opening or scuttle hole formed in the ceiling dividing the attic space from the room below. The scuttle hole is commonly located in a closet or main hallway, and may be covered by a hatch that comprises a removable portion of ceiling, such as formed from plywood or drywall. A user would position a ladder below the opening and access the storage space by carrying storage objects up and down the ladder. An improvement over this basic access system is a pull-down ladder that is built into a hingedly attached door covering the opening. The pull-down ladder may be folded into a plurality of sections to provide a compact structure when stowed. The user opens the door and unfolds the ladder to bring it into an operational position. This pull-down ladder has improved convenience since the user does not have to transport a ladder to and from the access location, and the ladder is anchored to the opening to thereby provide an increased degree of safety for the user.
Nevertheless, a drawback of each of these access systems is that it is difficult to transport objects up and down the ladder. The user cannot easily carry the object and grasp the ladder at the same time, thereby forcing a dangerous tradeoff between carrying capacity and safety. Moreover, the size and weight of the objects that may be transported is limited to that which could be manually carried and fit through the dimensions of the access opening. Users of such access systems have a substantial risk of injury due to falling and/or dropping objects, and the objects themselves can be damaged as well.
Thus, it would be advantageous to provide an improved way to transport objects to and from an attic storage space without the drawbacks of the known access systems.